GWS interim coach Mark McVeigh says Tom Green has been managed with an eye to refreshing the midfield bull mentally and physically.
Green has 25 disposals and 15 contested possessions in 2022 but has seen his output drop away in the back half of the year.
With Josh Kelly out with concussion and Lachie Whitfield missing again with a hip issue, the omission of Green from Sunday's team has raised eyebrows.
The Giants have also managed Jesse Hogan while Josh Kelly (concussion) and Connor Idun (foot) will also miss. Matthew Flynn has been omitted and will be replaced by Brayden Preuss.
McVeigh said that Green's body had taken a hammering this season and that he was keen to give his young star a chance to recharge the batteries with the final month of the season lying ahead.
"I think Tom's form has slowly been on the decline," McVeigh said.
"I think it's off the back of a big pre-season, (he's) a young player, he's an inside, contested player. He gets hit hard every week, he's been tagged, he wins his own ball and we rely on him a lot in that area.
"I think for the last month it has just started to get to him a little bit. I've chosen to freshen him up and make sure that he's feeling good and given him a few days away from the club. He's disappointed obviously but we've got to be smart in the way we approach this."
The interim coach said that while he was understanding of the reasons for the drop in form from Green, he required more energy from the 22 come game day and felt Green would need to sit out for his team to achieve that.
"I want energy towards the end of the season, we need effort and I felt that was slowly declining," he said.
When asked if Green was an automatic call-up next weekend McVeigh said that no one at GWS had that power and that he would be in the frame with other returning stars.
"I'd like to think that no one walks in," he said.
"Tom will check back in on Monday and he'll train really hard. He'll be up and about. We know we'll have Josh Kelly available next week, possibly Lachie Whitfield and Harry Perryman."
GWS face Carlton at Marvel Stadium on Sunday at 1:10pm AEST.